Ducks at Blackhawks
The Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks are 1-2 in the NHL in most shots allowed, so Tuesday's encounter in the Windy City could be an exercise in each team trying to take pressure off its goaltender. Chicago is coming off a 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday in which the Lightning set a franchise standard with 55 shots, including 33 in the middle stanza - an NHL record since shots by period became an official statistic in 1997-98.
"That was a tough, tough period in all aspects. I don't think we touched the puck at all, and that was the part that was disturbing against a good hockey team,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville told reporters. Anaheim yielded 45 shots in Sunday's 4-2 loss to Buffalo - the fourth time it has permitted 41 or more this season - and leads the NHL at 37.9 allowed per game compared to Chicago's 37.1. The Ducks are also last in shots taken at 23.8 while the Blackhawks were fourth-best through Sunday's games at 35.0. "We need to be more predictable and play with the puck more," Anaheim's Sam Steel, who scored his first NHL goal Sunday, told reporters. "Whenever they're getting that many shots, that means they've got the puck for a good portion."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), NBCS Chicago
ABOUT THE DUCKS (5-3-1): Rickard Rakell (goal, four assists) has recorded only two assists in the last eight games since recording a goal and two helpers opening night and is a team-worst minus-4. Ryan Kesler (three goals, four points in six games) was a minus-3 combined Sunday and in Saturday's 3-1 loss at Vegas while not recording a point in either contest. John Gibson (4-2-1, 1.91 goals-against average, .949 save percentage) is expected to be back in goal after Ryan Miller (1-1-0, 2.17, .938) was peppered Sunday.
ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (4-2-2): Jonathan Toews (five goals, 10 points), who hasn't recorded a point in the last two games, will play his 800th contest Tuesday and is three goals shy of 300. Patrick Kane has two goals and two assists in his last two games, increasing his team-best total to seven scores and 12 points. Alex DeBrincat (11 points), who also has seven goals, saw his season-opening seven-game point streak come to an end Sunday.
OVERTIME
1. Steel (20-years-old) is the fourth Anaheim player to score his first NHL goal this season, joining Max Comtois (19), Kiefer Sherwood (23) and Ben Street (31).
2. Chicago G Corey Crawford (1-1-0, 2.05, .941) is expected to start Tuesday as he works his way back from a concussion.
3. Anaheim has won four of the last five meetings, including a 3-2 victory Feb. 15 in Chicago.